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This blog serves my columns as an archive, a place to add footnotes,data sources and drafts of my weekly 550 word column for the Sky Hi News.(www.skyhidailynews.com) Often these drafts are posted on my Facebook page, The Muftic Forum.. To learn more about the posting subject, click onto the links at the end of the posting.Blog will be on vacation May 28-June 25 2018, with sporadic to no postings during that time.
I remove comments containing expletives and not in English.

The morning after November 6: Still sitting in the Oval Office is a president who views laws as a barrier to his power, a challenge to get around them or claim he can bend the rule of law to his benefit. He brought with him to the White House this scofflaw attitude, rooted in his business experience. His midterm election promise to reverse the 14th Amendment is only one case in point. (added later November 7 A crisis is being engineered by Donald Trump to impede the Mueller investigation by appointing a yes man flunky on record to criticizing Mueller acting in place of fired Jeff Sessions This is a direct result of Trump holding onto the Senate...By doing so, Trump has insulated himself against impeachment and can operate with all of the arrogance, retribution, and abuse of power he thinks he has...rule of law be damned. This is a third finger raised against Mueller and democracy. It is also one more element in building an obstruction of justice case against Trump Mueller could use if Trump's appointee takes action to rein in Mueller. A constitutional crisis is just beginning. Expect Trump to take advantage of the lame duck session to get away with whatever he can before the newly blue majority House is sworn in. )

Throughout his life as an heir to a fortune which he nurtured into a greater fortune with a family run real estate enterprise, Donald Trump only needed his simple command to rule his business. Any challengers were to be hit back harder than they hurt him. For him, as expressed in interviews , fear is his power. His reputation was not good in the real estate field, already filled with con artists and puffing sales people and he shrugged off a long list of suits and bankruptcies as just another cost of doing business. He survived claims of fraud and misdeeds by settling disputes with money, as he did in the Trump University case or his problem with infidelities and abusive behavior with women.
When he became president, he tried to run the White House with the same attitudes and ethics as he had run his business. His TV reality show and real estate hawker mentality, his frequently uttered lies and exaggerations continued. He arose to political power by leading causes like birtherism, claiming Obama was an illegitimate president because he was born in Kenya, contrary to overwhelming evidence. This appealed to many who resented that their preservation of ethnic and racial power was constrained by the rule of law, political correctness (AKA civility), and the Constitution. Later he was claiming he was above the law because of his position as president. He asserted he could not be subpoenaed to testify in a criminal case and he could pardon himself.
He has made promises that would challenge the very supremacy of the Constitution. In a last minute midterm election promise, Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to overturn the 14th Amendment. It guaranteed a person’s children born or naturalized in the US would be US citizens. With a stroke of a pen signing an executive order, he proposed to change the constitution. He would destroy this odious birthright citizenship. It was obviously a promise made to appeal to his white nationalist base. If he had the power to change the Constitution by executive order, then he could also take action against his critics, the enemies of the people, the free press, and keep on going, until the rule of law, the Constitution, was not worth the parchment on which it was written. To keep some wannabe despot, king , or dictator from altering that fundamental document from which all laws flowed, the Constitution made itself very difficult to be amended, fortunately for democracy. “Amendments must be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.”
Subject to interpretation, the application of some Constitutional provisions are altered. However, the 14th is one of the most unambiguous amendments ever written. “Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside” He was trying to pull off another con, counting on the ignorance of his devout followers.

Donald Trump is not on the ballot but he says he wants the November 6 midterms to be a referendum about him. If so, send him a message with your vote. That is the American way. What is not the American way are his words of hate and fear or to deliver the same in return. Words have consequences." Violence begets violence" (MLK.Jr)

Both parties use heated political oratory, but no one is equivalent to the bully pulpit of a president and no one equals Trump’s constant insults of rivals by name, his demeaning racial and religious minorities, and his exhortation of violence against reporters. This is still a citizen driven democracy. If that is the president we want to continue to empower, that is the president we get. My hope is that most Americans see an America better than that. We are becoming two countries: one mired in yearning for a past where racism was not tempered by political correctness and patriarchy reigned unchallenged. There is another America driven by tolerance, fairness, and idealism of our founders who gave us a form of democracy that, unless abused, would protect us from hate mongers. In the Novembers of 2018 and 2020, this country has the opportunity to choose which country it will be for years to come.

The horrific massacre in the Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday reminds us of what an atmosphere of hate of “others” can foster. The anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant shooter posted his beliefs on social media. Chants of “lock her up”, “Build the wall” rocked and still rocks Trump’s rallies. Earlier in the week, a frequent Trump rally attender addressed letter bombs to the who’s who of Trump’s named enemies and critics and had plastered his van with targets drawn over faces of those who were to become bomb recipients. The FBI and Attorney General Jeff Sessions quickly put to rest Trump media promoted conspiracy theories that this was a hoax, committed by Democrats to make the President look bad. The bombs were real. The accused was a partisan.

Trump cannot control how every unhinged follower will react, but Trump with his powerful position bears a special responsibility not to be a match that lights the fires. Trump does not stop hate filled chants at rallies; he regales in them. Trump, taking no responsibility in inspiring hateful violence, blamed the bomber on the mainstream media he had frequently called the enemy of the people. For what? For reporting and preserving Trump’s own words, for providing live coverage of his rallies, and fact checking?

Not to be lost in breaking news, are issues that impact many, health care coverage and Roe v Wade’s survival. We are voting for state officials who can shape them .Twenty GOP State Attorney Generals have sued to declare the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) unconstitutional, ending subsidized health insurance premiums and coverage of pre-existing conditions. There is no comparable replacement. The Democrat Colorado Attorney General candidate Phil Weiser would defend the ACA against the Texas suit destined for the Supreme Court. His GOP opponent George Brauchler, once had backed repeal. The conservative Supreme Court majority is likely either to rule against Roe v Wade or to give more power to states to restrict access. The Governor can veto what its legislature passes. Democrat Jared Polis is pro choice. His opponent Walker Stapleton is pro life and is mum if he would sign state legislation further restricting abortions. In the Attorney General’s race, Weiser is pro choice. Anti choice Brauchler has left open whether he would file a brief before the Supreme Court urging repeal of Roe v Wade

Forgot to register? No problem. In Colorado, you can register up to and on election day , November 6. Visit https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/home.xhtml for how. For candidate positions, google.

(This posting draws on, condenses, joins and updates some recent postings
Footnotes and sources can also be found in prior postings on similar subjects)

Monday, October 22, 2018

Updated of a prior posting on October 24. Trumps words of hate, fear and lies have consequences. His oratory of hate was heard by someone who used his words to target his letter bombs exactly to his most frequently named subjects of his angry, degrading rhetoric. It happened October 24. Trump then blamed in a tweet the fake mainstream media he called the enemy of the people. For what? For reporting his own words on video and in live coverage?
Donald Trump wants the November 6 midterms to be a referendum about him. If that is so, bring it on. Trump has faith in the gods of hate and fear that will rally to his cause as he summons them with lies and racist and sexist code words and calls the free press an enemy of the people. If that is the president we want to continue to empower, that is the president we get. My faith lies with the hope that most Americans see America greater than that, a shining city on the hill, the beacon of freedom and democracy, in Ronald Reagan's stirring words. We are becoming two countries: one mired in yearning for a past where racism was not tempered by the rule of law and political correctness and patriarchy reigned unchallenged. There is another America driven by changing demographics and remembered idealism of our founding fathers who warned us of a return to kings and despots led by populist demagogues . In 2018 and 2020, this country has the opportunity to choose which country it will be for years to come.

We have been there before when hyping hate and fear were in your face political tactics. In the late 1930's the US was swept with isolationist fever and a rise of Nazi sympathizers. America Firsters led by Charles Lindbergh as their chief spokesperson wanted peace at any cost and advocated for the US to stay out of the Nazi advancement in Europe. 22,000 American filled Madison Square Garden to mimic Hitler's Nuremberg rallies. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was running for an unprecedented third term which he won in a landslide in 1940, dimming the lights of the American Nazis and the American Firsters. Nonetheless less, the GOP Senate isolationists were strong enough to keep us from sending troops to Europe to help the English and the French. The Day of Infamy, Pearl Harbor, delivered the final blow to both the American Nazi movement and the political isolationists.. The folly of our disengagement with the world was revealed in a smoldering, mangled fleet in a Hawaiian harbor. Isolationism remained out of fashion until 2016 when another generation of GOP American Firsters revived it and hate and fear became a core rally message delivered by Donald Trump.

Charlottesville, Virginia has been the scene of two pivotal declarations: FDR, in an address to University of Virginia law school graduates in June of 1940, called out the Nazi aggressors as "the gods of war and hate". Donald Trump, orating from afar, called the neo Nazi, White Nationalists, tiki torch bearers chanting Nazi slogans in German and in English in that very same city in the summer of 2018, as some" fine people". That was no slip of the tongue, but a continuation of his racism and campaigns of coded appeals to a large group of core supporters, who feared brown and black people would end their domination. The rest of his party either tolerates, ignores his hate filled tweets and oratory, splits tickets, or changes party affiliation. Shouted chants of "build the wall" at his anger filled rallies were and are code words for his racially tinged anti immigrant campaign aimed at keeping Mexicans who he lied " were murderers and rapists "from flooding into America . While Nazi tiki torch marchers were fine, women who flooded the streets in revulsion of his amoral, woman grabbing boasting, his anti women rights, his anti #me too movements, were mobs to be deplored and feared as a bunch of hysterical, emasculating females. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh became the symbolic martyr of the counter attack by white males frightened by such an out of control challenge of demonstrators and were told by Trump wing media those mobs of women were obviously organized and paid by George Soros. Soros has been a frequent right wing scapegoat. That fact checker three Pinocchios lie was a twofer: it appealed to both fearful white males and anti-Semites.

It is a oft repeated truism that fear is the greatest political motivator . Candidate Donald Trump himself in an interview with journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in April 2016 opined that"real power was fear. " If there was not enough fear to turn out his voters, his contribution to that strategy of fear was to tell lies so that he could cause even more intense fear. Brown immigrants, murderers and rapists and gang members were not flooding the border, as he claimed; in fact, illegal immigration was at its lowest in years and nearly all were women and children fleeing gang warfare in Central America. That mid easterners, gang members, and Democrats comprise a caravan of migrants are fact checked as lies: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-on-migrants-saudis-and-the-hispanic-vote He tells you Democrats want open borders.That too is a lie . He rejected the Democrat's offer of a compromise on immigration (the famous Chuck and Nancy sit down) this summer that provided for greater border security. Those minority voters were not voting illegally ,either.. Voter fraud was a myth and Trump's commission to prove his point was shut down when, embarrassingly, no evidence was found. Nonetheless, in the name of voter fraud, dirty tricks were launched from South Carolina to North Dakota to suppress Democratic votes, constructing voter ID conditions impossible to meet, failing to process 53,000 voter registrations of mostly African American, strategically removing poll sites from minority neighborhoods, dropping less frequent voters too quickly from registration rolls. The Trump administration's inhumane policy concocted to scare off migrants by separating families at the border resulted in 12,800 young migrant kids in tent gulags and shelters. That cruelty was condemned world wide as a violation of human rights. Donald Trump has pulled the plug on the light of that shining city on the hill.

Trump has said the real power is fear. "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/02/transcript-donald-trump-interview-with-bob-woodward-and-robert-costa/?utm_term=.df1ec3bf6177
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/09/11/bob-woodward-donald-trump-fear-time-feel-afraid/1255246002/

Examples of recent Trump lies to raise hatred and fear levels and scapegoating:
In appealing to anti Semitism and fear of women rising in mobs, George Soros paid them:https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/05/no-george-soros-isnt-paying-kavanaugh-protesters/?utm_term=.833096f3d39d
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/newsy/factchecking-the-suggestion-george-soros-paid-kavanaugh-protesters
https://www.snopes.com/tag/george-soros/
Immigrants are murderers and rapists:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-
Caravans of Mexicans etc swarming the border. Truth: illegal immigration at new lows..down 18% in past years;https://www.wral.com/trump-renews-fiery-immigration-rhetoric-as-midterms-near/17927212/
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/defend-his-immigration-agenda-trump-points-riots-dont-exist?cid=sm_fb_maddow

Democrats want open borders to let in these rapists and murderers and get more Democrativ votes
false: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/fast-check-donald-trump-democrats-open-borders.html "

"Democrats have argued that building a wall on the southwestern border is ineffective and a waste of resources, and rejected hard-line proposals to limit legal immigration. But Mr. Trump is grossly exaggerating Democrats’ positions when he conflates their opposition to his signature campaign promise and immigration priorities as “open borders.” And there is no evidence that they “want anybody,” including MS-13, to enter the United States freely.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leaders, have rebutted the president’s charges. Additionally, their aides cited several examples of legislation that are supported by Democrats and would have provided border security funding."

Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/montana-rally-president-trump-praises-greg-gianforte-body/story?id=58596529

And without need to document because it has become an every day occurrence or oratory: Trump's rise to power on bitherism, claiming Obama was born in Kenya and turning Kavanaugh into the poster child of male patriarchy under attack.. His claim that all press and media criticizing him are "fake news", regardless of facts, proof, and corroboration, a common technique of demagogues rising to dictatorships. Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist.
Calling those who accuse men of sexual missdeeds liars. Calling women who threaten him with power pigs, horse faces, confused, mobs, an empty bag.. Men are the victims. Neo Naxis are some fine people who march with torches and giving white nationalist and Nazi salutes.

Backing and campaigning those who officials who use dirty tricks to suppress African Americans and Native Americans votes.https://www.politifact.com/georgia/article/2018/oct/19/georgias-exact-match-law-and-its-impact-voters-gov/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/native-americans-north-dakota-fight-protect-voting-rights/story?id=58585206
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/20/trump-georgia-republican-brian-kemp-stacey-abrams

Trump's disdain for the rule of law, contending he has a right to pardon himself if charged with crimes.

Examples of promises made and not kept: Better cheaper health care for all (and backing law suits and candidates advocating overturn of Obamacare and coverage of pre-existing conditions, as well as legislation backed by the GOP in Congress). Tax cuts for all became a sham cover for giving tax breaks to the rich and corporations; the middle class has already figured that one out and now the GOP is afraid to run on his tax programs. That the trillian dollar tax cut would pay for itself by increasing growth and income to the treasurty has resulted in ballooning debts and deficits. Going it alone without alliances, trade or otherwise, would make America greater in the world, yet Trump has become the laughing stock at the UN and his world approval ratings have tanked, the exact opposite from Obama's.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

I have seen chains of Facebook comments posted on time lines of friends that had me shaking my head. One was "so what if Trump lies, I like what he is doing". Another: "If you disagree with Trump, it is because you are a socialist, so go live in Venezuela". The latter writer has no idea of the shades of kinds of socialism, but right off the bat, I hope they turn in their Social Security card and give up Medicare, because those are socialism by any definition. For the record, I want capitalism to succeed. I do not support government ownership "of the means of production", but capitalism has its rough edges that leave many in the economic dust unless the bad parts are recognized and dealt with, whether by government or by the private sector or by charitable giving. If that does not represent your values, at least consider it is key to a stable society in which all have hope they can be treated fairly.

I am not freaked out by the word "socialism" itself. My questions are how much, what kind,what for, and are we willing to pay for it. I have lived in Europe and have close family members who live there now, but the extent of government involvement in their economy is their own choice because they also live in a democracy. They get the economic system the majority wants decided in a democratic process. They have lived under fascism and communist dictatorship and gone down those hell holes. What does frighten me is a large number of Americans who do not support or understand democracy and do not recognize a demagogue wannabe despot or condemn one when they see one. In my view, I fear they are passengers on the Titanic dancing to the music they love.

Remember that Hitler, Hugo Chavez, the Marxists, and Putin and all of the other despots, strong men, absolute kings and dictators seized and kept power using and abusing existing democracies or took advantage of chaos, economy's hard times, anarchy, and inheritance. They made promises that could not work and told lies to exaggerate victimization, intensify hatred and fear, and scapegoating others so they could appear as a savior. This happened whether the existing systems were fascism or socialism or market or oil based, communist, capitalist, socialist, industrialized or agricultural, and with well educated or illiterate populaces.

Here is the comment I posted in response to the one who wanted my friend to move to Venezuela calling her a socialist because she criticized Trump for lying. It is also my answer to the one who does not care if he lies. "What the heck does lying to cover your tail have to do with socialism? Seems like any form of government or despot of any economic or political ideology that lies is trying to fool its citizens or the world to maintain power. If citizens swallow lies because they like what the lies or promises sound like and suppress and muzzle those who tell uncomfortable truths, eventually their experiences in real life reveal the lies. Demagogues tell you what you want to hear, true or not, as they oppress, intimidate, destroy the opposition, and that is how they become dictators. The fooled eventually get disillusioned, and try to revolt peacefully in the ballot box in a democracy with fair elections and a free press. That peaceful transition of power is the gift of democracy, given us through our Constitution by our country's founders. If it is too late, that people have already handed over all of their power to a dictator , the revolt takes place in the blood of the streets or on a battlefield. That is the story of political history ". That is no lie.

Trump has said the real power is fear.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/09/11/bob-woodward-donald-trump-fear-time-feel-afraid/1255246002/

Examples of recent Trump lies to raise hatred and fear levels and scapegoating:
In appealing to anti Semitism and fear of women rising in mobs, George Soros paid them:https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/05/no-george-soros-isnt-paying-kavanaugh-protesters/?utm_term=.833096f3d39d

Anti immigration has become Trump's code word for making America White again, appealing to racists and fear of brown and black people:
Immigrants are murderers and rapists:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-
Caravans of Mexicans etc swarming the border. Truth: illegal immigration at new lows..down 18% in past years;https://www.wral.com/trump-renews-fiery-immigration-rhetoric-as-midterms-near/17927212/

Democrats want open borders to let in these rapists and murderers and get more Democrativ votes
false: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/fast-check-donald-trump-democrats-open-borders.html

On Trump lies about sanctuary cities...https://www.yahoo.com/news/twitter-agog-trump-whopper-californians-055804686.html?.tsrc=jtc_news_index

Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/montana-rally-president-trump-praises-greg-gianforte-body/story?id=58596529

And without need to document because it has become an every day occurrence or oratory: Trump's rise to power on bitherism, claiming Obama was born in Kenya and turning Kavanaugh into the poster child of male patriarchy under attack.. His claim that all press and media criticizing him are "fake news", regardless of facts, proof, and corroboration, a common technique of demagogues rising to dictatorships. Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist.
Calling those who accuse men of sexual missdeeds liars. Calling women who threaten him with power pigs, horse faces, confused, mobs, an empty bag.. Men are the victims. Neo Naxis are some fine people who march with torches and giving white nationalist and Nazi salutes.

Backing and campaigning those who officials who use dirty tricks to suppress African Americans and Native Americans votes.https://www.politifact.com/georgia/article/2018/oct/19/georgias-exact-match-law-and-its-impact-voters-gov/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/native-americans-north-dakota-fight-protect-voting-rights/story?id=58585206
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/20/trump-georgia-republican-brian-kemp-stacey-abrams

Trump's disdain for the rule of law, contending he has a right to pardon himself if charged with crimes.

Examples of promises made and not kept: Better cheaper health care for all (and backing law suits and candidates advocating overturn of Obamacare and coverage of pre-existing conditions, as well as legislation backed by the GOP in Congress). Tax cuts for all became a sham cover for giving tax breaks to the rich and corporations; the middle class has already figured that one out and now the GOP is afraid to run on his tax programs. That the trillian dollar tax cut would pay for itself by increasing growth and income to the treasurty has resulted in ballooning debts and deficits. Going it alone without alliances, trade or otherwise, would make America greater in the world, yet Trump has become the laughing stock at the UN and his world approval ratings have tanked, the exact opposite from Obama's.

Friday, October 19, 2018

What is the big deal about these midterms? Donald Trump is not on the ballot and aren't the big issues decided in Washington? OK, a vote for my Congressperson we send to the House of Representatives is understandable. In Colorado, there is no US Senate race this year. What does a governor, the attorney general, secretary of state and our legislature have to do with these national issues such as affordable health care insurance, social security and Medicare, and Roe v Wade ?The answer is tmuch more than you might think.

This next year the US Supreme Court could rule Obamacare (ACA) is unconstitutional and throw affordable health insurance out the window, including coverage of pre-existing conditions. Got high blood pressure, cancer in your past, pregnant? Heads up. The Trump administration, speaking out of both sides of its mouth, is promising pre-existing coverage while backing a court cases that would end it and they just allowed states to issue insurance that would not cover pre-existing conditions. Even if laws are passed forbidding insurers to reject insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, the GOP Congresss has proposed legislation that allowing insurers to charge you more than you can afford or not even cover treatment. State legislation could be just as sneaky. Even if Obamacare does survive, our state legislature has the power to pass legislation to end Colorado’s Medicaid expansion to cover thenear very poor.

Twenty GOP State Attorney Generals have joined in a Texas court case to declare the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)unconstitutional, ending subsidized health insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions. The Trump administration says they will not fight that suit. The Democratic Colorado Attorney General candidate Phil Weiser would act to defend the ACA. His GOP opponent George Brauchler, is inclined to leave it to Congress though once he had backed repeal, per a Colorado Pols publication. 65 or over? The GOP dominated Congress andSenate Majority Leader. Mitch McConnell,isthreateningto cut social
security and Medicare to offset ballooning debt . If the Senate remains red, the only brakeon steamrollingthat anti-senior, anti health consumeragenda is forthe House gets a Democratic majority.

The future ofRoe v Wade is on the line in the conservativedominated US Supreme Court. Roe v Wade put stateanti abortion laws on hold.The
Governorcan veto or sign into law its legislature passes. In the Governor’s race, Democrat Jared Polis
is pro choice; his opponent Walker Stapleton is pro life andis mum if he would sign legislation further
restricting abortions. In the Attorney General’s race, Democrat Phil Weiser is
pro choice. His GOP opponent George Brauchler is pro life and he has left
openwhether he would file file a brief before the Supreme Court urgingrepealof Roe v Wade. For state legislature candidates, google to find their web sites or media reports.

Have not voted yet? Forgot to register on line or by mail by October 29? No problem, no excuses in Colorado. You can register up to and on election day , November 6. (visit https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/home.xhtml) If you are registered and have not received a mail in ballot, call your county clerk at once. Not sure you know enough to vote? What are these amendments ? There is a bluebook supplied by the state of Colorado (http://leg.colorado.gov/bluebook) , but I also found the I found the Colorado League of Women voters website helpful. lwvcolorado.org/lwv/

Monday, October 15, 2018

I, too, am from eastern Oklahoma, though neither of my parents were from there. In my school classroom in the late 40's and early 50'nearly 2/3 were native American on tribal rolls and nearly everyone else could report somewhere in their backgrounds were native American ancestors, and told so by a grandmother.. The native Americans there were moved by Andrew
Jackson from the southeastern US. in the 1840's. While Warren's DNA was not weighted enough to qualify for the tribal rolls, it did not negate the fact that her grandmother believed she had Native American in her heritage and now she has strong evidence it was so. Check out http://www.okhistory.org/research/dawes

Elizabeth Warren never claimed she was on the Cherokee tribal rolls nor did she rely on Cherokee heritage for job applications. However, her DNA contains a bit of Cherokee in her. To be on the tribal rolls (per the Cherokee nation web site)" To be eligible for Cherokee Nation tribal citizenship, you must be able to provide documents that connect you to a direct ancestor listed on one of the Dawes Final Rolls of Citizens of the Cherokee Nation. To be eligible for a federal Certificate Degree of Indian Blood, you must demonstrate through documentation that you descend directly from a person listed on the Dawes’ “by Blood” rolls. This group of census rolls were taken between 1899-1906 of Citizens and Freedmen residing in Indian Territory (now northeastern Oklahoma). If your ancestor did not live in this geographical area during that time period, they will not be listed on the Dawes Rolls."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released the results of a DNA analysis showing she has distant Native American ancestry, which could pre-empt further questions and attacks should she run for president in 2020.

If Donald Trump has failed to make good on at least one of his campaign promises, "cheaper and better health insurance for all" is the one. In fact his party and his administration are hell bent to make health insurance cost more and even become out of reach for families on a budget. Worse, some of their actions, if successful, would end all affordable coverage including treatment of pre-existing conditions. The GOP has tried before to either subvert the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or completely destroy it. Now they have some new stealth tactics and they just might succeed.

The part of their scheme already implemented is to let the healthy go scott free without insurance and soak those who need it. The Trump administration did this to placate the better heeled who made too much money to qualify for subsidies and did not want all of the bells and whistles and those who felt confident they would never get sick and were never hurt in an accident. With an executive order the Trump administration removed the requirement that all must have health care coverage whether they were healthy or not or pay a penalty. Trump reduced the penalty to $0. Most insurance plans covering casualties mix those they think will not ever use their coverage with those who think or know they will. This varied pool spreads the risk around and keeps premiums to all lowered. This order makes the pool left with more of the sick in it who file expensive claims, raising premium costs or deductibles for everyone.

Another GOP backed action would kick budget conscious families where it really hurts. It would jeopardize affordable coverage of pre -existing conditions as it takes down the entire the ACA (Obamacare) with it, premium subsidies, Medicaid expansion and all, leaving 17 million unable to afford health insurance. They are doing this through a law suit in the courts to try to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional. The Trump administration has announced it will not defend the ACA against a GOP initiated Texas court case that seeks to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional. Twenty GOP state attorney generals have jointed in the suit. That case could make it to the Supreme Court, now firmly dominated by GOP conservatives.

The Colorado Attorney General race on the ballot Nov. 6 has no incumbent , but the Democrat, Phil Weiser, is committed to defending the ACA. His GOP opponent, George Brauchler, is vague, leaving the ACA up to Congress.

Particularly angering voters is the GOP engineering the loss of pre-existing conditions coverage. 27% of Americans between 18 and 64 have pre-existing conditions. Under the ACA provisions, those with pre-existing conditions do not pay more than those who do not have them. Pre-existing conditions range from cancer and heart problems to high blood pressure to pregnancy.

Both GOP legislators and Donald Trump pay lip service to retaining coverage of pre-existing coverage. The Trump administration argues that only the portion of health care pertaining to pre-existing conditions would be removed by the Texas court case. Some GOP members of Congress propose to "save" coverage of the pre-existing conditions part of the ACA if it is destroyed and the rest of the ACA is left standing by the Courts. That bill is a deceptive and useless ploy. Not only does their bill not tell at what price you will be charged for coverage, it does not require insurers to cover treatment. it would still permit higher premium costs for factors such as age,sex and where you live.
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What if the Supreme Court agrees in total with the unconstitutionality of the entire ACA? Seventeen million consumers will return to the olden days before the Affordable Care Act with nothing to replace it .I had been an executive with a consumer credit counseling agency then helping people get out of debt. The most frequent cause of bankruptcy and dire financial problems were medical bills. Family finances were being destroyed by high cost of health insurance.Their choice was to go without insurance or risk no one in their family would get sick, relying on emergency room and charity and nothing left for cancer screenings or annual checkups or prescriptions. Many gambled and lost, destroying their family finances. I recall constant fund raising in Grand County to cover medical bills of such and such a person who desperately needed help to fend off life threatening illnesses. That is not a time you would ever want to revisit.

Monday, October 8, 2018

I have heard at least two reports, one from a friend, women who reported being raped when they were younger, yet could remember all of the details.Here is what I did reply to my friend in a text exchange. It is possible neither Dr. Ford nor Kavanaugh were lying. Here is my theory:
Dr Ford never claimed she was raped; it was an attempted rape, so this is not exactly a parallel situation as my friend's. Both do not believe Dr. Blasey Ford because they say it was a case of mistaken identity. That theory was also not corroborated and had been thoroughly debunked. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/another-man-ford-assault/ They think Kavanaugh was speaking the truth. There was no one who could remember or corroborate the incident; therefore Blasey Ford was just mistaken. I have already posted my sarcastic thoughts on the sham of the treatment Ford got in another blog posting (Hell hath no fury than women scorned), An FBI extra interview of only those witnesses permitted to be interviewed by the White House made sure nothing was corroborated that helped Blasey Ford, not her psychologist, her husband, and now a new witness coming forth ...all fingering Kavanaugh as the assaulter before he was even the nominee on a short list...2015 to 2016.

Kavanaugh was adamant he did not do it and the carefully picked FBI interviews could find no one who could recall anything...even the only eye witness Mark Judge or the attendees in the downstairs at the event.

There was no mistaken identity if one takes time to review the testimony of Dr. Ford. She indeed know Kavanaugh. She was introduced to him by her boyfriend. traveled in the same social circles. She described in vivid detail the house layout and where it was: between the country club and home.
She remembered he was already drunk when she arrived. The stairs, the bed location to the right of the door in a room across from the bathroom, into which she was shoved as she went upstairs to a toilet. She was not raped, only thought she was going to be, screamed, hand over her mouth, and when Judge jumped on them both, she ran terrified after she locked herself in the bathroom and heard them ping pong down the narrow stairs. She remembered their laughter as they assaulted her. There was no semen...nothing to prove anything. This was not a rape. She just fled. That she did not remember how she got home is not unusual in a situation like this as psychologists will testify. At age 15 a brisk walk for ten miles could have gotten me home in those days easily.
That is a positive ID if there ever was one, and the trauma she suffered for 36 years was true. I remember an incident that happened to me sixty years ago in equal detail, though the incident did not rise to attempted rape. I describe that in an earlier blog post: "A personal story: why I took Donald Trump's mocking Dr Ford so personally".

So how could both be telling the truth? My theory. The victim is the one who is traumatized..not the attacker, who, if not too drunk, is likely to feel pleasure or glee, as Dr. Ford recounts their laughter at her expense, and forget the entire incident. What guys get out of it is not what victims feel. Kavanaugh was also telling the truth. He was drunk to some degree and not the one traumatized, so being the frequent party guy he was, this was just another party among many, and not particularly a memorable one.

This theory has a benefit: It avoids having to prove the charge that Kavanaugh drank until he blacked out. He did not need to drink to that extreme to forget that particular party. It gives Dr. Ford the benefit of any doubt in all aspects, including the positive identification of her attackers, and eliminates the strange acceptance of some conspiracy theory of mistaken identity that had zero corroboration to explain away doubts about Kavanaugh. It also underlines the different reaction between of the lasting trauma to the victim and the sexual release of the attacker that is not traumatic and may not even be memorable.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Revised: October 6, 2018.Want to know why so many women are outraged with the GOP's engineered process in confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Let me spell it out.Here is the message the GOP has sent women: "yes, we will listen to you with mock respect". Young women, here is my grandmotherly advice.Just make sure as you are being sexually assaulted in an attempted rape that you have a trusted eye witness friend of yours that is not a friend of the attacker who can stand up in court or before 11 GOP old men and be the kind of witness that might give them the proof that would satisfy them. Otherwise you will just be dismissed with a mock sympathetic pat on the head, ignored, and sent on your way as a confused woman who mistook the identification of the wannabe rapist. Then, as you flee after fighting the attacker off, run through the rest of the party goers crowd who are somewhere else in the house for whom this was just another unremarkable one of many usual beer drinking gettogethers, screaming as you flee that so and so just tried to rape you.. Make a mental note of how you got home. Oh, by the way, text everyone you know, too, immediately.. The attack may have stuck in your brain, but just make sure it stuck in others' brains as well. You may never know if this will ever come in handy. As in the case of Dr. Blasey Ford, the core issue with women reporting sexual assault, what they are asking, is that frequently those who are reporting such incidents are assumed to be lying or are somehow assumed to be the guilty party or are confused and mistaken. Women are demanding that those who are victims reporting sexual assault should be treated with respect and their allegations impartially investigated and fairly.

Sen.Susan Collins (R-ME), the critical vote, made a judgment call based on an assertion that Dr. Ford mistook an identity and there was no corroborating evidence.. Anyone listening to Dr. Ford's testimony heard her say she traveled in Kavanaugh's social circles and knew him from previous social gatherings. including information about the person who introduced her to Brett Kavanaugh. Collins joined the rest of the GOP in subscribing to a conspiracy theory that had been debunked weeks before that someone else was the attacker, with no evidence of anything.. Just a theory. No corroborating witness, no individual proved to be that mystery man. That must have made those supporters of Brett Kavanaugh feel much better about themselves to believe him since it gave them the luxury of expressing their belief in the rest of Ford's story and offer their sympathies, Yet at the same time they dismissed the key accusation, the positive I.D. Senator Susan Collins gave a detailed argument of why she concluded there was no corroborative evidence and thus there no preponderance of evidence to support Dr. Ford's accusation.. Brett Kavanaugh's testimony was more believable to her than Dr. Ford's... So in a future" he said she said situation" does that mean the bar of preponderance of evidence will now be the new standard in an attempted rape case.? Presumption of innocence is certainly a rule in criminal procedures as well as "beyond a reasonable doubt". as the GOP likes to assert. However, this Senate action on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation is not a criminal procedure.It does not even rise to the preponderance of evidence burden placed on an accuser in a civil case that Sen Susan Collins cited as her standard for drawing her conclusions.based on the evidence. Come now. It is a matter of fair treatment to get at the truth before conclusions are made. Dr. Blasey Ford was not fairly treated nor was there an honest effort to get at the truth.. While bemoaning the unfairness of the attack on Brett Kavanaugh's reputation, an nth hour left wing surpise, the GOP Senators engineered a process that was even less fair than the storied similar case in 1991 of Anita Hill's treatment in her complaint about Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill was afforded an FBI investigation before her appearnce and testimony, not a sham one after it, plus she summoned 22 witnesses. Neither Kavanaugh nor Dr. Ford could call on witnesses, even her therapist and husband, she had told about the attack years before Kavanaugh was even a potential Court nominee, nor could she even have the person who adminstered her lie detector test testify. Another complainant alleged that in Yale an out of control, drunken Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her and she did have witnesses. They were not interviewed, either.. The FBI, working under the direction of the White House and from the GOP staff list did not interview any of those witnesses that could have corroborated the women's testimony. They contacted only those they suspected or knew remembered nothing. Therefore, since there was no corroboration, voila, neither women had a credible case. Besides, the FBI only had a week. Of course, the week was an artificial deadline, as well, which could have been cured if the the GOP were willing to extend the time period.. In any case, had Kavanaugh been proved to be a liar, I suspect the GOP was set to confirm him anyway, since the attack on Kavanaugh was some left wing conspiracy to spring Dr. Ford on him and besides, the sins of a 17 year old should not be visited on a 50 something year old, whether lies were involved later or not. It was just the way men functioned. Boys will be boys. Assaulting girls they got drunk is not a big deal to them. So what if it is a big deal to their victims. Trump then turned this victimization upside down, telling young men these are scary times. You could be ruined by such accusations lose a big corporate job, he opines. . Sleep easy. First, the standards for a seat on the Supreme Court are much higher than usually required for positions. Sometimes a frat boy mentality is actually considered an asset in some business sectors.Second,the cards are stacked in your favor, boys.. Kavanaugh's confirmation is proof. Besides, what were you doing indulging in under age drunkenness and trying to assault girls, anyway. Maybe a dollop of fear is not a bad thing. That Mitch McConnell referred to the women demonstrating in DC as "mob rule" in his remarks on the floor debate is a fundamental misreading by the GOP of the anger women are feeling and that will haunt the GOP for years to come. Those demonstrating were channelling the anger for many women who could not be there. In a poll taken Oct 3-4, only 36% of women approved of Kavanaugh's confirmation and did 55% of men per an Axios/Surveymonkey poll. That is a huge gender gap. Another poll: "A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Maristpollreleased Wednesday found that 45% believe Ford to be telling the truth, while 33% believe Kavanaugh. Both of these figures mark an increasefrom a poll taken ahead of their respective testimonies, but the jump is more significant for Ford: up from 32% who said they believed her, and 26% for Kavanaugh.The hearing also had an impact on Americans who had previously been unsure of whom to believe, dropping from 42% before the hearing to 22% in the week after."The GOP must think women can be taken for fools so easily. Hell hath no fury like women scorned. ....Strangely enough, confirmation of Kavanaugh may be the best thing that could happen to Democrats in Nov 6 and 2020... The Trumpsters will feel less is now at stake in Nov 6 since they won and the non-evangelical suburban women will really be angry since they lost. It will also free Democrats to concentrate on health care and consumer issues...issues which are their strong voter appealing issues.. That theory is yet to be tested since the final vote did not take place until October 6 a month before the midterms and two years before the next general election. Polls taken now will not reflect what women are thinking after what has happened to them has soaked in. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/another-man-ford-assault/http://fortune.com/2018/10/04/kavanaugh-ford-credibility-poll/https://www.axios.com/exclusive-poll-kavanaugh-dominates-conversation-16ef9514-df25-4dd6-9d2c-cb4ae3d850d3.html

UpDate 10/18/18 The 10th circuit to which the ethics questions is in Denver.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/10/16/why-judge-kavanaughs-partisan-remarks-undermine-the-rule-of-law/#54e220021312
Update 10/12/18
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/10/11/chief-justice-roberts-requests-tenth-circuit-to-investigate-kavanaugh-ethics-questions/#7a6e17501877

Confirmed to the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh will have much to prove. He will have a challenge in gaining the respect he believes he deserves. His confirmation by the Senate was approved by one of the narrowest of margins in recent history, including Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation. An Axios/Survey Monkey poll October 3-4, showed him with a 50% disapproval of voters. Only 36% of women approved of confirming him indicating problems down the line for the GOP already suffering from a 20 point gender gap.

Many of his Yale and Harvard peers, once supportive, opposed him after his angry testimony in rebuttal to Dr. Blasey Ford's credible accusations before the Senate Judiciary. Even those related to Kavanaugh's religion , a Jesuit publication , reversed its endorsement and urged that he not be confirmed. . These are "no left wing dark money groups" and their opposition is based mostly on his non-judicial temperament. While much of this arose from his heated appearance before the Senate Judiciary committee, others date to 2006 when the American Bar Association downgraded his evaluation in 2006 because of his dishonesty and temperament, later giving him glowing approval, and then supporting the extra FBI investigation after his appearance before the Judiciary committee..
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a Republican, added his voice to those opposing his confirmation. In 2018 on the eve of the confirmation vote, 2,400 law school professors opposed him because of temperament .Yale drinking buddies attested to his extreme drinking problems. 800 Harvard Law School alums pressured Harvard to drop him as a lecturer . The National Council of Churches opposed his confirmation,too.

When a political operative with an ideological agenda enters the Supreme Court, will the Court be damaged? Politics and party affiliation have always been involved in Court confirmations. However, Brett Kavanaugh's partisan rant at the hearing, embracing extreme conspiracy theories ,unmasked his real political self. Coupled with a record of extreme views on executive powers, birth control, and choice expressed in writings and addresses to various groups, he was not just any Republican, but a hard core ideologue with beliefs about specific issues that are likely to come before the Court. Particularly un- judge like was his threat of revenge against his attackers ("what goes around comes around"). Sen. Susan Collins claimed of his rulings in lower courts she reviewed they did not reflect that extremism; let us hope that continues while he is on the bench. The challenge for Chief Justice Roberts will be how the Court will maintain a legitimacy in the eyes of the public as an impartial arbiter of what is and what is not constitutional. Or will the Supreme Court become seen and dismissed as a tool of like minded ideologues who see the Court as a way to implement their policy agenda?

Sen.Susan Collins (R-Me), the critical vote in his confirmation, believes Kavanaugh will not try to overturn Roe v Wade. He views that as settled law, a precedent to be honored, he told her. However, to overturn Roe v Wade was the top priority of Donald Trump's base. How does that work? At least 70% of voters polled by Pew Research oppose overturning Roe v Wade. Will Roberts prove to be the swing to keep the Court's reputation. as an impartial arbiter, or will Collins have been fooled? What will happen if the Mueller investigation implicates Pres. Trump and the Court will have to rule on whether a president can be subpoened or if he can pardon himself? How will Kavanaugh rule, he who even does not believe a sitting President should be the subject of a criminal investigation. Roberts will find his leadership sorely tested if he wants to keep the Supreme Court a respected and legitimate institution.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kavanaugh-s-former-classmates-drinking-buddies-call-on-senate-to-vote-no-on-confirmation/ar-BBNXDs5?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280 (The FBI in their extended investigation refused to interview them)

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

As Donald Trump mocks Dr. Blasey Ford...I was outraged. Not only was it orated by a President who is the model of male bad behavior, but I took it personally. I have been baited on my personal Facebook page this week by some male trying to demonstrate that a rape victim, a victim of sexual assault is lying if she cannot remember every little detail.(He was not a Facebook friend, but this was in the sub remarks of another Facebook friend's posting.) .Unlike the insinuation of Trump at the rally, Dr. Ford knew her attackers because he was a friend of a friend and they often attended the same social events .Her descriptions were in vivid detials of the event itself: of upstairs, the layout of the house, the attendees who did not witness the attempted rape and and those who did, the approximite location, and the general date and time. Obviously her drunk attacker was not traumatized and those downstairs were likewise not traumatized because they did not know what was going on upstairs. Kavanaugh's best defense was he was too drunk to remember, but he had painted himself as a virgin choir boy on TV and that he sometimes drank too much, but not to the extent as to black out. It is his lies later that are the issue here.

The exchange from the baiter went like this:
Male: Do you remember what I did to you 40 years ago?
Me: 40 years ago I was 40 years old (the baiter obviusly did not know me personally) and no, I do not know you or anyone with your name and whatever you said you did was not much of a trauma, if you did it. When I was 40, I was worldly wise and not easily traumatized. However, let me tell you what happened 60 years ago: I was in a work place in New York City...It was my first job after college, a dream job, writing story lines in early television. As I was writing, my boss in the next room with the door open began doing what creepy ..we called perverts..used to do in the back tables of the main hall in my college library..making sure I saw him do it. I remember what he looked like, what he was doing in detail, the color of his desk, how he had swiveled his office chair around so I could see it, and how my desk and chair were positioned. I remember his name (he is long gone from this world).I do not know what I did, but I turned my back. I do not know how I got home; I do not remember anything more, other than I was frightened.

I was supporting myself at the time. I could not afford to lose a day of pay. I called my employment agency. My answer: I quit my job and found another one, in a typing pool. It paid more, but was truly below my education level and used less than a fraction of my skills and education. However, I had a woman boss and I was the only female in the pool. She protected me from the dirty jokes of my fellow workers, telling them to stop it. We, my husband I ,moved to Denver. I landed a job in one of Denver's daily newspapers in the advertising department. I became pregnant and I was fired immediately once it was obvious by a boss whose name I remember, too. Those were the days.

I told no one about any of this, but thanks to Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, I began to talk about it recently. I am sure there are many like me whose horrible memories in the past have been dredged up and for whom these past weeks have been a nightmare. My outrage at Trump's remarks are guttural and visceral.

Further maddening remarks for Trump was saying this was a very scary time for young men since what they did when they were younger could be fired because women lied about an encounter who could not remember any details, etc etc.This is decidedly not the case in Dr. Ford's testimony. Most men like Brett Kavanaugh are not being vetted for the Supreme Court where character counts..and the standards are the highest in governance...plus the nomination is for a lifetime. If he is confirmed by the Senate to the court, every time he rules against the interests and rights of women, horrible memories will be a flashback. Since one out of three women have been a victim of worse than what I experienced described in this blog and more than 60% will not have reported this to authorities, that will be a large number of women whose traumas will be revisited. 60% of those young men committing such crimes will get away with it scott free, no blot on their resumes, and the women reporting it will go through the same indignities that Dr. Ford has experienced, probably mocked and disbelieved. That the character standards are being lowered and such behavior is ignored is a travesty and an insult to the Supreme Court.

About Me

Felicia Muftic is a political columnist with the Sky Hi Daily News, Grand County, Colorado. She writes on current events from a pragmatic, fact based, reasoned perspective.
Felicia has nearly 50 years of involvement in politics, finance,and consumer affairs as either a fly on the wall in international, national, state and local levels or a participant.
Parallel to all of this is intense involvement for over 50 years in the the political process, serving in both cabinet and staff in the administration of Mayor Federico Pena . Partially educated in Europe and married to physician-refugee from the Balkans, her interests are not confined to US domestic problems, but she also has a world view and experiences which are often reflected in her columns.
Felicia Muftic es un columnista político del diario Sky News Hola, Grand County, Colorado. Felicia tiene casi 50 años de participación en la política, las finanzas y de asuntos del consumidor, ya sea como una mosca en la pared en la internacional, nacional, estatal y local o de un participante. Para más información, visite www.mufticforum.com